Air bag clamping device

Abstract

A clamping device for clamping an automotive air bag to an air bag inflator. The clamping device includes an annular ring and a module housing wherein walls are attached perpendicular to the bodies of the clamping members at their inflator-side boundaries. When the periphery of the gas inlet opening is placed between the walls and the bodies of the clamping members the air bag is held in place by both radial and axial clamping thus securing the air bag during deployment. Undersized fastener openings in the module housing in conjunction with radial clamping provide clamping of the air bag during assembly of the air bag module without installation and securing of the inflator.

I claim: 
     
       1. A clamping device for holding an air bag onto an air bag inflator that is substantially circular in traverse cross section, comprising: an annular retainer having an inner boundary, a body, an outer boundary with a plurality of first holes passing through the body of the annular retainer, and a first wall integral to said inner boundary edge of said annular retainer, said first wall being substantially perpendicular to said body of said annular retainer;   a module housing having a mounting edge, a body, and an inflator-side edge with a plurality of second holes passing though the body of said module housing, and a second wall having a top and a bottom edge wherein said bottom edge is attached to said inflator-side edge of said module housing, said second wall being substantially perpendicular to said module housing and conforming to said first wall of said annular retainer such that a gap is formed;   an air bag having a substantially circular opening in a central region thereof and fastener holes radially outwardly of said opening wherein the diameter of the opening of the air bag is less than the outer diameter of the air bag inflator on which the air bag is to be held, an inner edge portion of the bag surrounding said opening extending radially inwardly from said annular retainer when assembled thereto, and wherein the inwardly extending inner edge portion of said air bag surrounding said opening is placed between said first wall of said annular retainer and said second wall of said housing module, wherein said gap formed by said. first wall of said annular retainer and said second wall of said module housing is less than the thickness of the fabric of which said air bag is made such that an inner edge portion of said air bag is compressed between said first wall of said annular retainer and said second wall of said module housing; and a fastener means passed through said first, fastener and second holes to join said annular retainer, said air bag, and said module housing.   
     
     
       2. A device as specified in claim 1 wherein a third wall integral to said outer boundary of said annular retainer said wall being substantially perpendicular to said body of said annular retainer. 
     
     
       3. A device as specified in claim 1 wherein said top edge of said module housing second wall is in the form of a radially inwardly curled edge. 
     
     
       4. A device as specified in claim 1 wherein said second holes in said module housing are undersized whereby said fastener means engage the edges of said second holes to hold said annular retainer and said air bag to said module housing. 
     
     
       5. A device as specified in claim 4 wherein each of said undersized holes in said module housing is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced substantially radially outwardly extending notches from said undersized fastener holes. 
     
     
       6. A clamping device for holding an air bag onto an air bag inflator that is substantially circular in traverse cross section, comprising: an annular retainer having an inner boundary, a body, an outer boundary with a plurality of first holes passing through said body, and first wall attached to said inflator edge, said first wall being substantially perpendicular to said body of said annular retainer;   a module housing having an inner boundary, a substantially circular opening defined by said inner boundary, a mounting edge, a second wall having a top and a bottom edge wherein said bottom edge is attached to said inner boundary of said module housing, said second wall being substantially perpendicular to said module housing and conforming to said first wall of said annular retainer, and a plurality of fastener holes passing through said module housing radially outwardly of said circular opening wherein the diameter of each of said holes is less than the diameter of said fastener to be inserted through each said fastener hole and wherein said module housing fastener holes have a plurality of circumferentially spaced substantially radially extending notches therein which extend outwardly from said fastener hole; and   an air bag having an opening in a central region thereof and fastener holes positioned radially outwardly of said opening, with the diameter of said opening of said said air bag being less than the outer diameter of said air bag inflator to which air bag is to be held, said inner peripheral region of said air bag surrounding said opening being placed between said first wall of said annular retainer and said second wall of said housing module, wherein the gap formed by said first wall of said annular retainer and said second wall of said module housing is less than said thickness of the fabric of which said air bag is made such that said inner peripheral region surrounding said opening of said air bag is compressed between said first wall of said annular retainer and said second wall of said module housing; and a fastener passed through said first, fastener, and second holes to join said annular retainer, said air bag, and said module housing.   
     
     
       7. A device as specified in claim 6 wherein a third wall is attached to said outer edge of said annular retainer said third wall being substantially perpendicular to said body of said annular retainer. 
     
     
       8. A device as specified in claim 6 wherein said top edge of said module housing second wall is in the form of a radially inwardly curled edge.